Resurrection: Gather The Witches
by writeturnlove
Summary: This story continues the narrative of Resurrection. Kai & Bonnie are now faced with a new enemy, Elizabeth Parker, who is working with Lily Salvatore and the Heretics on a mysterious plot that will turn the supernatural world upside down. Battle lines with be drawn and alliances will be tested as the new couple must combine their powers and gather the witches to save the world.
1. Chapter 1 - The Wedding

**Gather the Witches**

 ** _Chapter 1_**

 _A Bonkai Fan Fiction (Sequel to Resurrection)_

By V.C. Turner

 ** _The Wedding_**

Kai straightened his bowtie. Perhaps straightened wasn't the correct word. He pulled, yanked and tugged on the damned thing but it still didn't sit straight on his collar.

He ripped it off, tossing the delicate fabric in the trashcan next to the mirror displaying his very nervous 6-foot frame.

He drew in a deep breath and stared at himself in the mirror. The dark grey tuxedo was impeccably tailored. The white dress shirt looked perfect. Hell even the pants and shoes fit like he'd wanted them to. Nevertheless, the ensemble felt incredibly large on him; much larger than it did in the store.

The suit wasn't the problem. The tie wasn't the problem. He was the problem. His hands shook. His mouth dried up like the Sahara Desert.

 _This is ridiculous_ , he thought. He survived 20 years in solitary confinement. He could certainly survive one wedding ceremony.

The irony wasn't lost on him that the last wedding he'd attended was bloody, violent, and oh yeah, he did try to kill the same woman he would be marrying in a few minutes.

 _You can do this. You can do this._ He chanted to himself. After all, it was only a 30-minute ritual.

 _It's gonna be a piece of cake; a nice piece of sexy, Bonnie cake_ , he thought. One that would be all his in about – Kai glanced at the clock on the wall – 10 minutes.

 _Shit. Do I look okay without the damn tie? No, she'll want the tie. It's her day…but my night, so…On with the fucking tie I guess._

Kai pulls the tie from the trashcan and attaches it to his collar with quivering hands.

He looked outside the window and stared at the flowered arch perched on the lawn outside the Gilbert vacation home on Dunham Lake. Four chairs sat in front of it, each adorned with ivory ribbons and white lilies. Bonnie asked Caroline to decorate and to make it small and intimate event. Surprisingly enough, the blonde vampire didn't overdo it.

 _Holy fuck. She actually listened to us._

Why did they choose this place again? Oh right, it was secluded, nestled deep in the woods next to a sprawling lake.

They should have eloped, but he knew Bonnie would have been disappointed. She deserved an official ceremony and he was going to give it to her; even if he did mean that he had to track down Jeremy to be invited into the lake house. Kai was surprised that Jeremy allowed him inside the Gilbert residence where he eventually to be preparing to marry the guy's ex-girlfriend. Yep. This whole thing was weird, frightening, and wonderful.

Kai whipped out the folded four-inch sheet of paper on which he had written his vows. Preparing for battle took less effort, he thought. Draft after draft was tossed aside over the past three weeks. He finally settled on being clumsy and honest, which is what he always felt around her. The speech was pretty good, but he soon realized that he'd used up most of his good material just proposing to her.

He hoped she'd like it.

Stefan's knock on the door shouldn't have come as a surprise to Kai, but it did. He was caught off guard by the sound, jerking so hard that he dropped the paper with his vows onto the floor. Kai scrambled to pick it up, brush off the imaginary dust, and stuff it back into the pocket of his jacket.

The decent Salvatore brother slowly entered the room with an unfamiliar expression on his face.

"What's wrong?" he asked Stefan.

"Nothing. Nothing. I just wanted to say something before we went out there," Stefan started.

Kai chuckled, but he knew what was coming.

"Bonnie and I have been friends for years. She's like a little sister to me," said Stefan.

"I get that," Kai said, trying hard to be polite even though he knew Stefan's diatribe was unnecessary.

"I know you say you've changed. I accept that. Hell, I'm not one to judge. I changed for someone I loved. It looks like you did too," Stefan pointed out.

"I did," Kai added, "She's worth it."

"Good," Stefan smiled, "Good. Glad you recognize that. Just remember one thing: If you hurt her in any way - I promise you that The Ripper of Monterey is going to pay you a visit, and when he's done, there won't be anything left to bring back."

Stefan adjusted Kai's bowtie, patted him on the shoulder and left the room.

The old Kai would have ripped out Stefan's heart for making such a threat. The new Kai – well, he considered it, but pushed the idea aside for Bonnie's sake. He wasn't going to hurt her, but he respected Stefan's threat as an act of love for Bonnie.

And Bonnie was easy to love.

He turned toward the clock. Five minutes to go.

Bonnie placed her small hands on the bodice of her ivory gown, smoothing out the last few wrinkles. The dress shimmered in the afternoon sun cascading through the picture windows. Her tastefully short train flowed behind her.

Caroline secured a pearl necklace around Bonnie's neck, then adjusted her friend's hair so that her ebony curls cascaded around it.

"Perfect," Caroline said, beaming as if she were a little girl dressing up her favorite doll. She clapped in satisfaction at her bridal masterpiece.

While Caroline's burgundy colored, spaghetti strapped maid-of-honor dress looked fetching on the blonde vampire, nothing could eclipse Bonnie in her lace and chiffon Vera Wang gown (courtesy of a brief trip to New York and a little bit of compulsion.)

"Thank you Caroline. You're wonderful," Bonnie said in a low tone.

"I know you're nervous, but you'll be fine. Those heels are guaranteed not to trip you up while walking down the aisle," Caroline asserted.

"I'm not nervous," Bonnie told her, "I'm sad."

Caroline's expression of shock nearly forced Bonnie to a fit of laughter.

"Aw, honey, why are you sad…you know, if you want to just run off, you say the word. We'll grab my car, pull a Thelma and Louise and get the hell out of here," Caroline offered.

"Oh, that's not what I mean," Bonnie explained, "My dad's not here to give me away. My mom is god-knows-where. My Grams isn't here. I just don't have any family to watch me do this. Then there's Elena. They're all missing it."

Caroline tilted her head and turned on her usual sweetness.

"Oh, honey, we're your family too. We love you and want to see you happy. Besides," Caroline reached down and rubbed Bonnie's stomach, "You do have some little Bonnie Babies in here and Auntie Caroline can't wait to meet them, and spoil them."

Bonnie smiled, wrapping her arms around her best friend.

"I love you, Care," Bonnie said, fighting back tears.

"I love you too, Bonnie Bennett – I mean Parker. Hmm. You _are_ going to hyphenate that, right?" Caroline asked.

"Yep," Bonnie announced, then scanned herself in the mirror one last time before her best friend tapped her imaginary watch and pointed to the door.

Kai stood on the left side of the wedding arch with Stefan standing next to him; wedding ring securely tucked into his right breast pocket. Convincing the vampire to serve as Best Man didn't take much convincing at all. One look into Bonnie's soulful green eyes and Caroline's skeptical blue ones, and his decision was made for him.

The groom bounced in his shoes to tamp down some of his nervousness. After a few seconds of watching Kai squirm, Stefan placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Relax," he whispered to Kai.

"I'm trying," Kai answered back.

"You run, I'll kill you," Stefan threatened.

"I'm not planning on it, but thanks for the vote of confidence," Kai added.

The minister received his cue from Caroline, who waved from the deck to signal that Bonnie was ready to come out. The guests, Tyler, Matt and Jeremy, rose to their feet and waited.

Kai watched the doors of the patio slide open. Caroline walked out, holding a cluster of white roses. He noticed that Stefan's mouth dropped open when he saw her. He looked the young Salvatore up and down and decided it was a good time to tease him.

"Well, look at that. Blondie's got you drooling," Kai chided, "Please don't get it in my tux."

"Shut up!" Stefan snapped back.

Caroline descended the stairs and began walking up the aisle.

Soon, Bonnie emerged, a light breeze swaying her curls from left to right. She clutched her rose bouquet, walking gracefully toward the aisle. She descended the steps, looked up and flashed a perfect smile in everyone's direction.

Stefan turned to Kai, whose mouth was hanging open at the sight of Bonnie in her wedding dress. He smiled, whipping out a handkerchief and handling it to Kai without looking at the befuddled groom.

Kai frowned at his best man.

"It's to wipe up the drool. Wouldn't want you to get it on my tux," Stefan said smirking.

Kai swatted it away and turned back to Bonnie, who had reached her designated spot in front of Caroline.

She looked up at him, eyes flashing. He could barely breathe or think and hoped he remembered his name by the time the service was over.

The minister motioned for everyone to sit down and began his introductory speech. Kai didn't hear it. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. It wasn't until he received an elbow from Stefan that he realized he should be paying attention because it was his turn to speak.

"Um, yes, yes," Kai said looking around.

"Your vows?" the minister instructed.

"Got 'em," he answered, pulling the sheet of paper from his pocket.

Caroline and Stefan chucked in unison, while Bonnie simply smiled wide and took a deep, expectant breath.

Kai bit his lip and began to speak, trying to prevent his voice from wavering.

"My God, you are so damn beautiful," he began, "I don't know why I thought I'd remember what to say while standing up here. So I guess it's a good thing I wrote it down."

Bonnie looked up at him, her eyes glimmering in the fading sunlight.

Kai continued, reading from the paper, but looking up from time to time to gaze at his beautiful bride as he spoke.

"I am no saint, but I'm 100 percent certain that you are. I didn't know anything about love, and that's all you seem to know. It's one of the things you taught me. You are the strongest, bravest, most amazing person I've ever known and I'm both terrified and incredibly happy that you love me. I know I'm not the kind of man you need right now, but I'm gonna be. I know I'm not a hero like you are, but I'm gonna be. I know nothing about being a husband or a dad, but I am going to figure it out. Because you, Bonnie Bennett, you deserve the best and I'm going to give it to you, because I love you," reaching for her and rubbing her stomach, "All of you."

Bonnie swallowed hard and forced back her own tears as she waited for the minister to signal her to speak. She was shaking visibly, so Kai stuffed the paper into his pocket and took her left hand, rubbing the back of it to calm her down.

"Wow. Um…When I dreamed about this moment as a little girl, I don't remember ever having an image of the man I was supposed to marry. I had no idea what he would look like. His eyes. His smile. The sound of his voice. I only remember what I would feel when I was with him. He'd make me feel excited, and a little weak in the knees. He'd be the first to fight for me, and we'd have plenty of fights of our own. He'd challenge me and encourage me. I could be both nervous and brave when I was with him. I would feel like I could be myself, holding nothing back. He'd make me laugh and hold me when I cried. He wouldn't need to be a perfect person; just perfect for me," Bonnie said, looking up at Kai, "So…here you are. And here I am, promising to be your partner in crime – always."

Kai swallowed hard, somewhat frustrated that he had to wait another few minutes before kissing her, picking her up, and claiming every inch of her as his. He waited for cues from Stefan, barely paying attention to the minister actually guiding the ceremony. He heard something about a ring, but didn't respond until Stefan nudged him. He took his free hand and placed the ring on Bonnie's finger, then Bonnie placed a ring on his.

A series of words escaped the minister's mouth, but all either of them heard was a series of "blah, blah, blah with their names scattered in between. It wasn't until the minister asked about objections to the union that Kai began to pay attention.

That's when he smelled the stench of the other Salvatore brother: bourbon and expensive cologne. Damon refused to attend the wedding on principle, but that didn't mean he wouldn't show his face and make a scene. The air was thick with tension as silence fell over the assembled guests.

Damon stood at the end of the aisle, but said nothing, finally sitting down in the last empty chair while scowling at Kai from a distance.

"You may now kiss the bride," was the last direction Kai heard before pulling Bonnie into kiss so hot, the wedding arch caught fire.

She was his. It was a chauvinistic sentiment, for certain, but he wasn't in the mood to care. Bonnie handed her bouquet to Caroline.

"Next," Bonnie winked at her friend.

Kai scooped Bonnie up in his arms, and sped down the aisle toward their temporary honeymoon sanctuary.

The spell cast around the property would last until the next full moon – another three weeks.

They were safe: at least for the moment.


	2. Chapter 2 - A Honey Moon

**Gather the Witches: Mr. & Mrs. Parker**

 _A Bonkai Fan Fiction (Sequel to Resurrection)_

By V.C. Turner

Bonnie clamped onto Kai's shoulders as he whisked her into the lake house and slammed the door, finally putting her down in the main room. He backed away and stared at her with what could only be described as possession. His smirk told her all she needed to know about his intentions.

They'd had sex plenty of times, yet this was different. Making love on this night meant more than simply an exercise in mutual gratification. It was a bonding intended to be sacred. The tension in the air was thick as his expression changed. He loosened his tie and circled her a few times.

She soon realized his dilemma: He had no clue what he was supposed to do on their wedding night. She knew he'd built this night up in his mind, but he didn't have a plan.

She found it endearing.

Bonnie finally broke the silence between them.

"Kai?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am," Kai answered smiling as he looked down into her eyes.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Trying to decide if I'm going to be naughty or nice with you tonight," he said.

"Oh really? I see. So you're nervous," she smiled back, grabbing ahold of his shirt and pulling him toward her.

"No. Just trying to appreciate you," Kai responded.

Kai broke free of her grasp and walked behind his new bride. He kissed her shoulder as he unzipped the wedding dress, watching it fall in a pool of fabric at her feet. Bonnie wore a white lace bra and panty set that made his mouth water.

"Can't you appreciate me in the upstairs bedroom," she teased.

"My, aren't we bold, Mrs. Parker," he stated.

Being called Mrs. Parker sent erotic shivers down her spine. She liked the sound of his voice when he said it; it was deep and husky – as if the idea that they were married now turned him on in ways even he'd never expected.

Kai stopped circling her; his decision made.

He zipped through the house, placing candles around them. He then closed the curtains. The sun had fallen behind the trees, so only a sliver of light cast throughout the room.

She couldn't see him, but she could feel him – his warmth wrapped around her as his breathing picked up. He brushed her right cheek with the back of his hand.

"I think I'm going to go with nice…just for tonight," he told her, his words coming from the darkness.

Candles lit themselves one by one throughout the room.

Kai stood in front of her, still dressed.

"Well, this isn't quite fair," she told him, crossing her arms in mock frustration.

"I know," he responded, "That's why I want you to undress me."

"Is this your first official husband request?" she asked.

"If you want, I will only make them in the bedroom," Kai said with a wink.

Bonnie smirked at the invitation. Kai's eyes danced as she slowly removed his jacket and threw it behind her. She then took off his belt, dropping it on the floor with a loud, awkward thud that made him jump. They both chuckled at her attempt to be seductive. She had little experience in such matters outside of her relationship with Kai; nevertheless, she continued to work on his clothes.

Bonnie made quick work of removing his tuxedo pants, but she took her time taking off his shirt; slowly unbuttoning it as she batted her eyes at him. She was fully aware that he had no defense against what she could do to him with a simple expression.

She was right.

Kai picked her up, wrapped her legs around him, and kissed her softly as she moaned into his mouth. His hands tugged at the back of her bra. She felt the clasp give way right before it slipped from her shoulders and onto the floor with the rest of their clothing.

Bonnie pulled herself away from him long enough to whisper "Upstairs!"

Kai did as instructed, whisking her up the staircase to the master bedroom, which was bathed in moonlight.

Kai wanted to make her happy. No. He needed to make her happy – especially on their wedding tonight. Nevertheless, his own erotic needs were difficult to push aside as he watched her mostly naked form writhe on the four-poster bed in front of him. She was his, but not as a possession, for, in truth, she owned him more than he cared to admit. But her heart, her body, her desire… all of it was a cherished gift that he could enjoy for eternity – something he swore he never truly wanted until the moment she agreed to marry him. Before this night, he considered "forever" a curse, and now it had become a blessing.

All his senses were tuned into her. His magic simmered just beneath his skin, making it sing with anticipation, but he refrained from using it for fear he would have no control over his power.

He swallowed hard to temper both his vampire and witch abilities in favor of a more human approach.

His naked goddess lay there, anticipating his touch. Her wavy black hair fanned out around the white pillow. Her cocoa skin looked angelically blue in the moonlight sneaking in the windows. Even through the dim light, he could still see her green eyes shimmer, looking at him expectantly.

Neither of them could wait any longer.

Kai broke away from soaking in Bonnie's beauty to light a single candle sitting on top of the dresser. The subtle glow illuminated the room with an orange light as the tiny candle flickered against the walls and the mirror displaying its reflection.

When he returned to the bed, he sat next to her, taking his right hand and using his fingertips to lightly touch every millimeter of her quivering body. Her shaky breaths transitioned into erotic pants as he caressed her skin. He tried to control his breathing. He wanted to make it last for both of them.

Kai replaced his fingers with his lips, lightly kissing her from the ankles, up and down each leg. He then moved up her stomach, purposely avoiding her intimate area so he could tease her.

He traced a circle around her left nipple, then gently sucked the erect bud into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it and causing her to cry out his name in response. He applied the same careful treatment to her right nipple as she arched into him.

He felt Bonnie reach for his erection, but he shifted away from her grasp. He needed to stay in charge or he had no hope of restraining himself. He smiled at her eagerness, then kissed along her collarbone.

He nibbled at her neck, pinching the flesh between his teeth to leave a small mark – his own way of temporarily branding her with his passion. Her earlobes were next. He flicked his tongue over each one as he felt Bonnie shudder beneath him.

"Please?" she whimpered.

"You sure, Mrs. Parker," he whispered back, nibbling on her neck again.

"Kai, please," she responded.

Kai rubbed his manhood along the slit of her entrance, making her moan loudly.

"For me?" begged Bonnie, reaching up to stroke his face.

"Say it first," Kai said, kissing her cheek. He made a slow grinding movement against her sex before she answered him.

"Say, mm, say what?" she groaned. She couldn't take it any longer. His teasing was driving her insane. Her head tossed from side to side.

"One word," he told her.

Bonnie frowned slightly. She soon smiled, and remembered what she'd said to him after they'd made love the first time.

"Heaven?" she said.

Kai nodded, sinking into her treasure and whispering her name with a slow exhale of breath.

"Heaven."

He intended for his movements to be slow and deliciously sensual for the both of them. He hoped it would give them both time to enjoy the moment, reveling in the pleasure they gave one another, but it was too much.

All of his senses and instincts were screaming at him, almost drowning out Bonnie's passionate cries. He exerted an immense amount of energy to control his magic and his blood lust. His fangs started to descend the closer he came to release. Slowing down wasn't helping. Speeding up would mean disaster.

Appearing to sense his struggle, Bonnie looked up at him, rubbing her finger across his mouth. He felt the pad of her thumb graze across one of his fangs.

"Let go," she insisted.

"No, not yet," he told her.

Bonnie grabbed him around the ribs and rolled over on top of him, straddling his waist and guiding him back inside her. She couldn't contain her enthusiasm at being able to flip him over with little effort. Her smile lit the room brighter than any candle.

Bonnie grasped his hands and pinned Kai's arms over his head. She leaned down, sucking his lower lip into her mouth and biting it. The sudden sharp pain didn't hurt much, but Kai understood this was her way of marking him as well.

She whispered in his ear.

"Let go," she directed, "Witch. Vampire. Just let go. I can take it."

They had channeled each other's magic before, but Kai was still uncertain. He slowly released some of the power building in his fingertips. Bonnie smiled as it bounced from his hands to hers and back again.

She sat up and began to grind against him. She placed his hands on her breasts and encouraged him to caress her. He gave in, palming the supple flesh that tickled his palm as the areola hardened beneath it.

Kai concentrated as much as he could, slowly releasing more of his magic into her. He started with her breasts, and moved down to grip her waist. He pulled himself deeper into her. He watched as Bonnie licked her lips and her eyelids closed.

She was close.

So was he.

He could hear her heartbeat pick up speed with each thrust and grind. A beautiful vein in her neck called to him. It pushed against her skin – eager to be pierced, licked, and sucked to satisfaction.

 _Human. Human. Tonight, I'm human. I'm just a man._

But he wasn't just human. He wasn't just a man.

Bonnie looked down at him. She used her hand to stroke the vein seductively.

That was all the permission he needed. He pulled her down so her chest pressed into his.

His fangs pierced her neck as orgasms rocked them both. Her hands clenched his shoulders as she rode the waves of her release.

Hopelessly euphoric, he gently drank sips of blood from his bride. A sharp pain suddenly struck his own neck and a small set of lips massaged his skin. After a few moments of letting her "drink" from him, he rolled them both over - breaking away from her neck so he could pull her into a kiss.

Kai smiled down at Bonnie. He stroked her hair and nuzzled her cheek.

"You're a little bit kinky, Bon-Bon. I think I like it."

Bonnie threw him a wicked grin, climbing on top of him again.

"Oh, I'm just getting started," she asserted.

 ** _Research_**

Kai watched Bonnie as she sat at the end of the dock, dangling her feet lazily in the water. She was dressed in one of his white t-shirts and a pair of light grey pajama shorts. Her hair was pulled away from her face in a neat ponytail. Cinnamon colored lip-gloss adorned her lips. She wore no other makeup. She needed no enhancement. Bonnie was beautiful no matter what she wore, but for some reason, on this morning, she was especially stunning. She was engrossed in reading one of the old Bennett grimoires when he approached, the wooden slats creaking beneath him.

He sat next to her, nudging her lightly with his shoulder.

"Hey Parker," he said.

"Hey Parker," she answered.

"What are you doing?" he asked, hoping it had nothing to do with the constant danger they were in.

"I'm searching for a summoning spell," she told him, "Trying to call other witches to us without drawing any unwanted attention."

Kai nodded. He understood her need to be prepared coming battle against Elizabeth, but he still wanted to steal a few more moments with her- just for them. He knew it wasn't going to be easy.

"Did you find anything yet?" he asked, stroking her lower back.

Bonnie's eyes closed. A smile broke across her face and she placed the book behind her.

"I have a few ideas," she told him, "But first we need to make a beacon to draw them here. The elders of each coven will sense it and contact their coven members accordingly."

"Ok," Kai said, leaning over and kissing her cheek.

"I need you to do something for me," she started.

"I'm ready if you are," he smirked as he began to kiss her neck.

"Not that Mr. One Track mind," she said, "I need you to teach me to fight. Not just defend myself, but actually go on the offensive. I want to kill and not regret it."

A serious expression hovered over her face.

"Bonnie, I don't think that's a good idea," Kai said, frowning.

"I'm tired of being helpless, damn it. I need to protect my family. I've lost too many already," she snapped back.

Kai laced his fingers with hers.

"That's not what I mean. And you're not helpless," he told her, "You've kicked my ass more than once. But that side of me isn't something I want to let out again. I can't guarantee I can control it."

"We don't have a choice, Kai. She's coming for them," Bonnie said.

"She'll die first," Kai insisted.

"Just teach me – Please," she pleaded.

He couldn't say 'no' to her.

"Ok. I'll help you fine-tune your magic. I'll help you fight, but not to kill. You don't want that kind of burden on your shoulders."

"I can handle it," she insisted.

"I know how strong you are, but it's the guilt that'll haunt you. The memory of every person you kill running around in your brain. I don't want that for you," he stated.

"Kai, it's either them or us – you know that," Bonnie stated.

The truth of her words ripped through him. They'd been happy. Truly happy, even with fear always lurking in the background.

Elizabeth presented a real threat to that happiness. She was deadly, ruthless, and cunning. Those that followed her example would be equally as dangerous.

As fast as he was, as strong as he was, he would not be able to kill them all. Not alone. He needed to teach her and, in doing so, touch that part of him that remained dormant.

To save their lives, he'd have to become the man she used to hate.

"Fine," he finally told her, "But you have to promise me something."

"Which is?" she asked, giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

"That if I lose control," Kai said, "…. I want you to kill me."


	3. Chapter 3 - Turn (Part 1)

**Gather The Witches:** Chapter Three

 _A Bonkai Fan Fiction_

By V.C. Turner

 ** _Turn_**

Bonnie stood in front of her bedroom mirror, examining her slight frame for some sign that she would become the mother of not one, but two infants in a matter of months. Exhaling slowly, she closed her eyes and placed her hand on her belly button. The skin beneath her hand felt soft and unusually warm. She quickly pulled it away as if she'd been shocked by an electrical current. She tugged her top back down.

She hadn't felt nauseous yet, but she knew it was coming judging by her recent sensitivity to every scent in the house, no matter how faint. Kai mercifully avoided certain spices when he cooked their meals, but the lack of flavor did nothing for his own palate.

Eight weeks had passed since Elizabeth's visit to the Salvatore mansion. There had been no Heretic attacks. Lily was nowhere to be seen. It was quiet.

Too quiet.

Bonnie and Kai returned to her grandmother's house, casting a boundary spell along the property's boarders to keep out uninvited guests. Their plan was to eventually move to a safe house outside of Mystic Falls; a place no human or supernatural creature would know about. She needed place where she could progress through her pregnancy in peace.

Peace.

Bonnie had forgotten what "peace" looked like over the past few years. Peace meant nothing ever since the Salvatore Brothers decided to return to her hometown, bringing with them their drama and their enemies. Since their arrival, she'd lost so much yet fate handed her a new chance to rebuild her family and her life.

She wouldn't lose it all without a fight.

Bonnie soon focused her efforts on calling other witches to Mystic Falls for the inevitable battle with Elizabeth, Lily and the Heretics. Her enemies had a mysterious plan involving her unborn children, but she didn't know what it was or even how to stop them. Contacting the other witches and bringing the covens together would hopefully help her to figure out how to stop them.

The summoning spell required ingredients that were difficult to procure in small town Virginia, so Bonnie enlisted her cousin Lucy's help in retrieving some of them. Lucy had quickly become the sister Bonnie always wanted while growing up. The two practiced spells scrawled within the binders of the Bennett grimoires at least once per week. It was a chance for Bonnie to be around another Bennett witch, to learn from their history and to find a way to chronicle her own expanding Bennett line.

Kai sat in on their sessions in the beginning, but soon realized that it was the equivalent of Bonnie having her weekly "girl time" with Lucy, so he quickly stepped aside. He knew she needed a break from his frequent hovering over her.

She understood his concern. She shared it, yet the reality of their situation surrounded her without ever fully sinking into her soul.

Bonnie stroked her stomach again in disbelief. While there was no bump there, she could sense them somehow. While Kai could hear their tiny heartbeats after four weeks, her awareness of them was much more complicated. She felt their presence in her womb. She knew their genders as well: both boys.

She started thinking of names for them as a smile slowly spread across her face. She chuckled as she thought of the conversations she'd had with Kai over the past several weeks. He kept suggesting funny rather than appropriate names for their children.

Their most recent debate happened after breakfast that morning.

"How about Simon and Garfunkel?" Kai asked.

"No!" Bonnie answered.

"Laurel and Hardy," he offered.

"Don't think so," she responded.

"No," Bonnie laughed, "Enough with the dynamic duo names."

"Starsky and Hutch?" Kai added.

"Stop it!"

"I've got it. These are winners," Kai said with a mouthful of toast in his mouth.

"This better be good," she responded.

"James and Dean," he offered.

"That's actually not that bad, but no," she insisted, still, she made a mental note of that suggestion for later.

He smiled at her, then walked around the table to rub her back and whisper in her ear.

"What about Nicholas and Simon," he says quietly.

Bonnie's heart fluttered when she heard him say it. Actually, the flutter was somewhere in her womb, but it radiated up her midsection and to her heart. She refused to believe that the babies actually heard Kai's suggestion and were responding to it.

"I actually kind of like those," she told him, "Who are they?"

Kai was quiet for longer than was comfortable before answering. He looked away from her.

"They were the – um – the names of two of my -," he started to choke on the words, so she stopped him. She already knew what he was trying to say.

The hurt spread across his handsome face.

"I'm gonna take a quick walk. I'll be back in a little while, Beautiful," he told her.

He kissed her cheek and headed outside, disappearing into the trees that lined the backyard.

Their baby naming conversation took place three hours before her millionth visit to the mirror, and he hadn't returned.

She wanted to worry about him, but she knew he could take care of himself and that he would return soon.

Bonnie kept staring downward at her stomach trying to picture what her expanding belly would look like one month, two months or five months into the future. She rubbed her skin below the navel and muttered a silent chant, a blessing.

She was so consumed with her thoughts that she didn't notice Kai standing in the doorway watching her until she looked back up to the mirror and saw him leaning against the doorjamb watching her.

"It's not like you to spy, Mr. Parker," Bonnie joked, "I figured you'd prefer making a grand entrance."

Kai looked her up and down before he spoke.

"Technically, I'm not spying. I'm staring," he told her, pushing away from the door and walking up behind her. He looked at the two of them in the mirror, wrapping his arms around her and rubbing her stomach.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Yep," he quickly answered. She didn't bother asking him to elaborate. Instead, she changed the subject.

"You still hear them, right?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, "Everything's fine. What? Am I going to be your 24 hour baby monitor from now on?"

"No, I just – I just wish I could hear them too, that's all," she responded, turning to face him.

"You'll get to hear them when we go to the doctor. I compelled us an appointment in a couple of weeks," Kai said.

"You compelled an appointment? You do realize that most people just call up a doctor's office and ask nicely?" she asked.

"I could, but then it wouldn't have been nearly as fun," he answered, kissing the top of her head.

When she pulled away, she noticed the vampire veins showing on his face. He was hungry.

Bonnie held out her wrist for him to feed from her. She couldn't remember the last time he had – eaten. So much had happened over the past several weeks, that she didn't consider Kai's blood diet as a priority.

Rather than take her offer, he frowned at her suggestion.

"I'm not feeding on you!" he said, his expression one of surprise that she would even make the suggestion.

"Why not?" Bonnie asked.

"I'm not making you my human blood bag, Bon. Besides, I don't know what that would do to you or them. I'm not risking it," he insisted.

"I see," she said, suddenly feeling flirty, "So you don't like taking risks?"

Bonnie started opening her top one button at a time. She looked up into his eyes, batted her eyelashes and pouted.

Kai bit his lip and turned his face away from her, but Bonnie knew his restraint would break soon. His breathing had picked up. It always did when she tried to seduce him. While she was no expert at flirtation, she fully understood what it took to turn on her favorite bad boy. It was only a matter of time before he caved in and she enjoyed being the one to chase him.

Once all the buttons were undone, she tossed the top aside. She walked closer to him – as close as she could get without touching him. She wanted him to feel the heat, their heat. She wanted to wrap herself up in it and take Kai with her.

"Why are you misbehaving?" he said as he failed to hold back a smile.

"Are you telling me you're not going to touch me for the next six months?" she asked.

Kai ran the back of his hand along her silken black bra. He then traced the outline of her breasts with his fingertips. The sensual heat he always generated in her returned, more potent than ever.

"Oh, I'm going to touch you plenty, but …" he started.

"But what?"

"I don't want to hurt you," he insisted.

"I'm tougher than I look," she added, "You should know that by now."

"I know just how tough you are," he asserted, "I'm still going to be extra careful."

"Suit yourself," she teased, removing her bra and tossing it at his head.

Kai chuckled, briefly allowing the worried look on his face to fade. She slinked back to the doorway, leaning against it. She traced her finger down her cleavage and watched as his gaze followed her movements.

Bonnie kicked off her white canvas shoes and shimmied out of her gray cotton leggings. She stood there in only a pair of black panties, pouting at him as an invitation for him to misbehave a little too.

Kai bit his lip as he watched her, removing his black coat and shoes, then shedding himself of his t-shirt and jeans.

Clad only in dark blue boxer briefs, he walked over to her and snaked an arm around her waist pulling him to her.

"You're so naughty, Mrs. Parker," he said.

He scooped her up and walked her to their bedroom, placing her on the bed with care. He stared down at her as if he was trying to figure out whether to let his heart or his libido take over.

Kai apparently opted for the heart. He positioned himself on the bed next to her, stroking her skin from her neck down to her thighs. She moaned. He was being too gentle again and it was driving her insane. She wanted him to rip off her panties and have is way with her. She arched into his touch, prodding him on, but he didn't relent.

His talented fingers skimmed over her panties, but he didn't dip inside them to touch the emerging wetness there.

"You're being bad," she moaned.

"Nope," Kai whispered, "Just taking my time to explore and admire the view, and it is such a perfect view."

Kai leaned in and kissed her lips softly. He teased her tongue with his, while his hand right hand made slow deliberate movements around each nipple, allowing his magic to make her skin tingle.

As her nipples hummed, he moved his lips down to her neck. She turned her head to give him more access for a bite, but he didn't take the bait. He moved down to her chest, lightly sucking at one nipple then moving to the other. He then licked a path between her breasts and down to her navel.

Kai blew a hot breath on the outside of her panties. She lifted herself off the bed.

"Please!" she begged.

Kai, being merciful, removed her panties, slowly dragging them from her legs as he kissed down the invisible path made by the fabric.

Her eyes were closed, but she managed to find the top of his head, grabbing it with both hands and pulling him up to kiss her lips again.

She wanted to look in his eyes when she made her next request.

"Kai, don't make me wait for it. I swear I'm gonna explode and take you with me," she pleaded.

He chuckled softly, giving her another quick peck on the lips before shedding his own boxers, allowing his rock hard length to spring free.

"I am such a good husband," he joked, nibbling at her ear while teasing her with his rigid tip.

She moaned back at him. She usually liked the foreplay just as much as the main event, but she'd grown impatient with his patience lately.

After all, there are times when a woman just wants to be fucked like the end of the world is coming, so she deserves to come first.

Kai kissed her lips as he rolled them over, slowly sliding her on top of his cock and making them both groan so loudly that the walls shook. Bonnie had resolved herself to the fact that sex with Kai would always be epic, but it still didn't diminish the delicious shock of pleasure that coursed through her each time they made love.

He stilled his movements, allowing her to adjust to him at her own pace. Bonnie then began to ride him, teasing them both although she knew the teasing wouldn't last long. Her thrusts quickly become more precise as she picked up speed. He started to rise up to meet her thrusts, but she held him down gently, showing him she wanted to do all of the work.

She could tell he was fighting to stay still. He tossed his head from side to side and gritted his teeth as the pleasure began to overwhelm him just as it did her.

Kai reached up to caress her nipples, allowing the sharp buds to tickle his palms as they both hovered closer and closer to their release.

Bonnie grabbed his hands and let them knead the pliable flesh of her breasts. The closer she came to orgasm, the more she wanted to dominate him. She grabbed his hands and pinned him down to the bed. The sudden movement shocked him, but he didn't fight against it. It appeared to turn him on even more, if that were possible.

Bonnie claimed his mouth with hers as she rode him harder, making small semi-circles with her hips. The new movement was driving them both insane.

Her speed picked up ever so slightly and she soon became aware that both of them were close to getting what they needed. Still, she wanted to give Kai something more.

She tore herself away from his lips long enough to whisper in his ear.

"Bite me when you come," she begged him in her sexiest voice, "Please."

She pulled away and she could see the vampire veins showing around his eyes again. His hips lifted off the bed to meet her thrusts, and his legs began to stiffen.

He was close. His fangs descended and he slowly sunk them into her neck while thrusting into her one last time. He came. She came. He sucked on her neck while she shook through intensity of her orgasm.

Kai pulled away from her, laying her gently on the mattress next to him. He stroked her hair gently as guilt swam through his blue/grey eyes.

She knew his concern for her well-being was justified. His adjustment to the heretic lifestyle had been a rocky one. There were nights he couldn't sleep because vampire hunger overpowered his witch nature. It was stronger and more volatile than he'd expected. As a result, he did his best to feed when she wasn't around. Animal blood was never enough, so he amassed a collection of blood bags from various hospitals up and down the East Coast. He didn't steal too much from one facility so his efforts at satisfying the hunger would remain undetected.

Bonnie could hear him pacing at night. The floorboards creaked beneath his heavy boots as he tried to calm himself down. He was desperate to keep his promise to never hurt her again, but in order to do so, he needed to rein in his own demons – ones he'd fought all his life.

Kai's kiss on her forehead jarred Bonnie from her worries about her new husband. He turned her head to see the mark he'd made on her neck.

"I'm sorry," he said, quietly.

Kai bit into his wrist as he watched Bonnie's neck bleed. He held out his arm for her to drink from him, when he stopped moving, and then he stopped breathing.

"Kai?"

He didn't answer. His expression of guilt turned immediately to shock.

Kai looked from her neck and into her eyes, then back to her neck again.

"Kai, you're officially scaring me," she said as she sat up.

"Bon," Kai started cautiously, "You're healing on your own."

Bonnie clutched her throat, feeling only smooth, warm skin underneath her palm.


	4. Chapter 3 - Turn (Part 2)

**Gather the Witches – Chapter 3 (Part 2)**

 ** _Turn_**

By V.C. Turner

 **May 10, 1994**

 **Salvatore Mansion – 2:36 a.m.**

Damon had no reason for standing outside her door at such an ungodly hour of the morning, but the truth was, he couldn't sleep and she was the reason why. Anger didn't send him walking down the hallway to her room that night. He was worried.

He could hear Bonnie's screams from three rooms away as she tried to fight the demons that haunted her dreams. For the past half hour, he listened as her breathing and her fear increased. He could hear her turning like a tornado in her bed. Her rapidly beating heart thundered away and called to him like an S.O.S.

Yes, they were alone. Yes, there was no immediate threat to their lives. It didn't matter. She needed him, so he needed to be there for her.

For three months, they relived the same day and tried to make the most of their situation while missing the people they loved.

During that time, they transitioned from enemies, to reluctant allies, to acquaintances, to something else entirely. Damon even considered her a friend when she let him.

He hated to admit it, but the cute and stubborn little witch had been growing on him for years, and he couldn't stand to know that she was in pain.

He could have easily invaded her dreams and helped with her imaginary fight, but he chose to wake her instead – relieving her of the torment altogether.

He banged on the door a few times, but she didn't answer, so he walked inside.

Bonnie lay on top of the pale green sheets. She was dripping with sweat. Her damp hair clung to her even damper forehead. She gripped the pillow with her tiny fingers and groaned again.

"Bonnie!" he called out.

Her nightmare continued. Tears began to fall from the eyelids she was desperately trying to open.

Damon rushed to the side of the bed and shook her.

"Help me, come on – somebody," she howled in her sleep.

"I'm here, Bon, come on. Get up, damn it! It's just a dream," he pleaded with her sleeping and writhing form.

Bonnie continued to toss and turn, as of magic prevented her from waking. He could feel her tendons tighten. Her muscles shook almost violently.

Her light gray tank top was soaked down the center.

Damon tried to focus on helping her rather than the hardening nipples sitting atop her perky breasts and poking out of her top. Several months of celibacy had begun to get to him and being stuck with a beautiful, sexually frustrated woman made matters worse for the insatiable vampire.

He held onto her arms and shook her again. Nothing worked. He finally decided that dream invasion was going to be his best option. Perhaps he'd do something ridiculous or funny, allowing her to see that it was a dream, and then wake herself up on her own.

Damon closed his eyes and concentrated, but he couldn't get inside her mind. He tried over and over again, and continued to fail spectacularly.

Bonnie stirred again, her tiny pajama shorts riding up higher on her hips so that he could see the apex of her thighs. His mouth watered, and he tried to look away.

"Damn it, Bennett. Please wake the fuck up or I'm going to do something inappropriate," he said aloud.

She continued to toss and turn. She was terrified and exhausted.

Damon reasoned that if he couldn't find a way into her dream, at least he could change the content of that dream, or wake her up by doing something entirely inappropriate.

He gently lifted her tank top, exposing her breasts to his guilty gaze.

"I'm going to hell," he told himself before leaning down and sucking one delicious little nipple into his greedy mouth.

Bonnie stilled. Her breathing slowed for a moment as her body appeared to be processing the sensation. The tossing and turning ended, but her eyes never opened. Her brow relaxed, as did her muscles. Her hands reached up, seeking out the owner of the mouth that was clamped onto her chest.

Damon waited for the inevitable and well-deserved slap he was earning. Nothing happened. He gambled on his good fortune, moving to the other breast without hesitation. She simply ran her fingers through his hair and moaned into the pillow.

He was perfectly aware she would wake at any moment and call him a "bastard," "pervert," "asshole," or possibly all three. He pushed those thoughts aside for a few more moments of savoring the beautiful Bonnie Bennett.

He didn't know what name she'd eventually cry out, but he fought back a wince as her lips parted slightly. She let out a soft moan which only egged him on more.

He climbed all the way on top of her and hovered there. Her bad dream was over. Her wet dream was starting.

Damon leaned down, breathing in the scent of her sweat as well as her cocoa butter lotion. He needed to leave because it was wrong to want her this damn badly; especially when there may be hope of escape.

"Bonnie," he whispered, praying, this time, she wouldn't wake up.

"Hmm?" she whispered, without opening her eyes at all.

"You okay?" he asked, hoping she didn't realize his creative way of changing the direction of her dream.

"Mmm, okay," she told him, still lost in her dream world.

He stroked her cheek, leaned down and softly kissed her forehead and then her nose. She smiled.

Damon tried to convince himself that what he did next wouldn't change anything between them. He rubbed the pad of his left thumb across her mouth. Her lips were so soft.

"Damon?" she said aloud, asking her question into thin air, but still wrapped in the comfort of sleep.

He took that as an invitation – or perhaps an excuse. He bent over and pressed his lips to hers. He tasted each lip as if he were relishing the sweetest dessert he'd ever eaten. She reached up to touch his face, and kissed him back. He realized she was still dreaming, but he wanted for her to be his, just for a few more minutes.

He never expected the sensation of kissing her would feel like descending in a rollercoaster: all adrenaline and nerves mixed in with excitement and need to hold on as tightly as possible.

Bonnie's eyes flashed open once she realized that she was actually kissing Damon in the real world. She placed her hands against his chest, but didn't immediately push him away, like he expected.

She soon pulled away from him; all too quickly for his liking, but he let her break free from his embrace. She backed up against the headboard, looking down to see that her shirt was still hiked up over her breasts.

She noticed the dampness on her nipples and scowled, but didn't swear at or hit him. Instead, Bonnie breathed in deeply and pulled down her shirt.

"I seem to recall someone saying that he wouldn't touch me if I were the last woman on Earth," Bonnie said, looking intently at nothing outside the window.

Damon stood up and backed away from the bed, stunned into silence by something he said to her in anger more than two years earlier. The fight she referenced existed only as a distant memory to him, but she apparently remembered it clearly. The wound he'd inflicted back then remained fresh for her.

She crossed her arms over her chest, tugging at her ribcage to comfort herself.

So many things ran through his head. For one of the first times in his life, he searched for the right thing to say before actually opening his mouth. He actually waited for the right moment to say it.

She deserved honesty, if nothing else.

"Bonnie, I never meant what I said back then. At the time, we were arguing – like always - and I said it to keep you from knowing that I thought you were beautiful. And also to keep you from realizing how much it pissed me off that I would never have you," he said.

Once the words were out, he backed up to the doorway. He leaned against it and waited for her reaction. She shook her head before looking at him.

"I know you're lonely and desperate Damon. I am too. The difference between us is that I still hold on to hope that I will get back home and see my friends and fam-" she stopped as tears welled in her eyes.

Bonnie hid her face.

She was about to say "family" when he realized she had no family any longer, and most of that was his fault.

He took a step toward her, but she held up a hand to stop him.

"I deserve to be loved Damon. I deserve to be chosen and not just because there's no better option," she told him, "I deserve it, even if there's no one left on Earth that will do that."

"You're right. You do deserve it," Damon said, "And I'm sorry."

He started to walk away when Bonnie let out a soft sigh.

"Why are you sorry? Because you're horny and don't actually care about me," she said.

Damon stopped in his tracks and turned around so he could look her in the eye when he told her.

"No, Bonnie. I'm sorry I didn't meet _you_ first," he said, "Maybe if I had, then I wouldn't owe you so many other apologies."

Damon headed to his room, hoping his words would sink into her aching heart. He wanted to say more, but that brief truth, whether or not she believed it, was enough; at least for the moment.

 **Present Day Mystic Falls – Salvatore Mansion**

Damon felt a breeze kick up the silky sheets on his California King-Size bed. He wasn't alone. He leapt to his feet and turned, about to pounce on whoever dared wake him from his dream memory of Bonnie.

Lily leaned against his dresser with her arms folded.

"Fascinating," she said.

"What the hell do you want Lily? I'm assuming you're not here to make sure you're little boy is safely tucked in bed. – Oh yeah, you just forgot to give a shit about us after 1858," Damon bit at her.

"Damon, I never stopped loving you both, but I had my reasons for leaving. Your father was chief among those reasons," she said.

"So you said. I didn't give a shit then and I give less of a shit now. Get out before I kill you and get blood all over this nice cherry wood flooring," he threatened.

"Damon, I'm not here to fight," she insisted.

Damon looked in her eyes, shocked that he believed her. He believed her until a sharp, piercing pain leveled him. He fell to the floor as Elizabeth Parker strolled toward him from a corner of his room that had been cloaked in darkness.

"I, on the other hand, **am** here to fight," Elizabeth said, releasing him from the pain.

"You bitch!" he screamed, about to lunge forward when Elizabeth immobilized him with a spell.

The Parker witch turned to Lily, cuing the vampire to speak.

"Son, what my companion wants to say is that we are willing to make a deal, that's all," Lily said.

"What kind of deal would I ever agree to with the two of you?" Damon asked. He was buying time, hoping that Stefan would burst through his bedroom door and even the odds a little.

He waited. Baby bro never showed.

"Look, son, I did a little peeking into your dream just now and I realized that you and I actually want the same thing – Bonnie," Lily said in a motherly tone that sickened him.

He growled at her; a guttural sound that evoked his desired response - a brief moment of fear in his mother's eyes.

"I'll take that as a sign that I'm right," Lily added.

"I'm never surrendering my friend to you," he told her.

"Oh, I think she means a little more to you than that," she said as she stalked around him, "So, if you do our dirty work, we'll do yours."

"What dirty work are you talking about?" he asked, still a little dizzy from the pain Elizabeth had inflicted on him.

Elizabeth spoke up next, leaning down to his ear.

"We want you to get back into Bonnie's good graces. Allow her to see you as her best friend and the helpful, sweet Uncle Damon she needs you to be for her little ones. Convince her that we can save her life and the lives of her children. Let her decide on her own," Elizabeth said.

Damon stood on shaky legs, staring angrily at both of them. He trusted neither, knowing there was nothing they could give him that would be worth turning Bonnie to the "Dark Side" of magic.

"This benefits me how?" Damon asked.

"Because if she does choose us," Lily said, "We kill Kai for you."


	5. Chapter 4

**Resurrection**

 **Chapter 13**

By V.C. Turner

A blood-curdling scream broke through the blackened room, jarring Kai awake and placing him in a panic-stricken state. Four rapid heartbeats thundered in his ears, the result of a terrified Bennett-Parker family.

The hair on his neck stood up as his skin vibrated at the sound. Bonnie tossed and turned next to him. Her violent thrashing stirred her magic and made the house quake on its foundation.

"Bonnie!" he yelled as she tried to shake her from her dream, but it was no use. Lost in some imagined torment, his new bride fought helplessly to wake up.

He turned on the lights, scanning the room in search of an intruder that might be casting a spell on her. He saw nothing other than pictures bouncing against the walls and candles toppling from their pedestals.

Tears trickled down Bonnie's face as Kai frantically sought a way to get her to open her eyes and free her from the darkness in her mind.

He placed a gentle kiss on her lips and her eyes – part of his usual morning routine - in order to wake her. Nothing.

He tried sprinkling cold water on her face. Again: nothing.

No conventional method worked, and he began to think that a magical force had trapped her in the nightmare – most likely his mother.

Fighting magic with magic could be dangerous, but Kai would do anything for Bonnie. He flipped through his Gemini grimoire as well as the Bennett spell book. Sweat beaded his forehead. His hands shook. His mouth went dry.

He pulled out a map of Virginia - one Bonnie had previously used to track down lost family members.

Only Kai wasn't searching for a Bennett this time.

He was looking for a Parker witch.

He sliced into his hand, letting the blood fall trickle onto the map as he chanted a locator spell in Latin. The droplets of blood pooled beneath his hand, but didn't move along the map to indicate a specific location.

Elizabeth couldn't be found. It was entirely possible that she'd cloaked herself in some manner, but the spell Bonnie cast around the property would have exposed her.

Kai finally decided the best way to help would be to try and enter her dream, see what she was seeing, and force her to wake up. He used dream jumping as his last resort because he felt she deserved her privacy, regardless of his own curiosity.

He wrapped his hands around hers and concentrated, slipping into her thoughts as the darkness cleared and he could focus on the images that terrified the woman he loved.

An eerie orange glow flooded his vision, followed by Bonnie's screaming. He turned toward the sound to see Bonnie tied to an altar, covered in blood and about to give birth their children.

He ran to her only to be stopped by a barrier of salt encircling the stone altar. She looked at him and called his name as an ache built up in his chest.

"Bonnie: listen to me. You need to wake up," he pleaded.

"Kai, I can't. Help me," Bonnie said, weeping uncontrollably out of his reach.

"I'm getting you out of here!" Kai shouted back.

He looked around the church for something to use to break the barrier when he heard a familiar voice behind him.

"You can't save her. You can't save any of them," Elizabeth said, her threat sending a chill down his spine.

Rage fueled in that moment. Without looking, he felt her presence in the room, and used his vampire speed to pin her against the far wall.

"I don't give a damn if you're real or not. You need to die," Kai threatened, remembering each word of venom she had ever spewed in his direction.

"If you think murdering me in a dream is going to keep you or them safe – believe me: it won't," Elizabeth said, "Give them to me willingly, Kai and Bonnie stays safe."

"You're killing her!" Kai yelled at his mother, a murderous look on his face as he pressed his fingers deeper into her neck. His vampire veins flashed under his eyes, which grew darker with each moment that he allowed her to breathe.

"I'm not the one killing her, son," Elizabeth said, straining to speak against her closing windpipe.

Kai noticed that her expression held a certain pity behind her obvious fear. Why would she feel sorry for him now after all those years of torment she lavished upon him? Why should she care about his spouse and children when she clearly never cared about her own?

"Elizabeth, this scene has played out before: you and Lily tying Bonnie to an alter, ready to murder her. You lost then. You're gonna lose now," he threatened, squeezing her throat tighter.

Short gasps emerged from her mouth as her eyes closed

"Are you sure _I'm_ the one that's going to lose," she managed to whisper before her windpipe shattered beneath Kai's hand and she crumpled into a heap at his feet.

Kai breathed a sigh of relief as her lifeless body laid before him. A small part of him felt remorse at the thought of killing his own mother, but he pushed the feeling away.

Running to Bonnie's side, Kai untied her hands and feet, then scooped her up and took her out of the church.

Light flooded his vision again, only this time it came from their bedroom windows. He looked down and saw Bonnie lying in his arms; her glistening green eyes beginning to flicker open.

She reached up and touched his face.

"Kai?" she asked in a weak voice.

"Yeah, Bon?" he answered, stroking her hair.

"You saved me again," she said, a small smile playing across her lips as she slowly sat up, "I love the hero version of you."

"You know, more than one person is allowed to wear the cape in this family," he smirked at her, and then kissed her forehead.

Bonnie wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him tightly as he hugged her back with caution. Everything that ever mattered to him was encased in this tiny woman that now carried both his name and his children.

He'd fight for them. He'd die for them. And regardless of how much it bothered him to think of it: He would kill for them as well.

Kai's mind flashed back to the dream memory of killing his own mother to save Bonnie and the children. While he didn't regret the action, something else stirred deep within him. Possessing a conscience carried several strange burdens along with it. The killer he'd been in his youth was now being tempered by the killer he needed to become. Being half vampire only escalated his inner conflict.

The surge of power.

The thirst for blood.

The need for vengeance.

The fierce devotion to Bonnie and his unborn children.

He would go insane if he focused on it for too long.

He chose, instead, to focus on the other three heartbeats in the room; all of which had slowed since waking from the dream.

Bonnie broke Kai from his thoughts when she kissed his cheek. He turned to her, noting that her worry and fear had finally dissipated. His Bonnie had come out of the darkness once again.

"Are you okay?" she asked, stroking his cheek with her right hand.

"I'm fine," he lied, knowing she could tell.

Bonnie lifted his chin so he would look her in the eyes. She always saw through him.

"I love you, Kai. Even when you try to protect me with a lie: I love you," she told him, "But you're not in this alone, so why don't you help me fight _with_ you."

Kai simply nodded, knowing that arguing with a Bennett was useless.

Standing outside in the sun, Bonnie rubbed the skin where Kai's bite had been. She'd never healed that quickly without needing to drink vampire blood. She could only assume that the babies must have had something to do with her new ability – if she could call it that. She could feel their power increasing steadily as the weeks went by.

She assured Kai that she would be fine, but she still felt better about him spending the day with her, practicing magic and getting stronger in both mind and body.

Kai stood behind her, his hands clasping firmly on Bonnie's waist as she stared intently at the line of six bottles perched on the railing of their back deck. She then looked at the wooden targets placed randomly in the back yard.

She breathed in and out slowly, preparing herself.

Bonnie needed to learn to defend herself – to focus her magic and also draw power from him for the coming battle against Elizabeth, Lily, and their band of merry-less heretics.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Yeah, think so," she said, shaking her hands at her sides.

"You focused?" he asked, stroking her arms, lightly.

"I will be when you stop doing that," she answered.

Kai did as she asked, giving her a quick kiss on the top of her head.

"Sorry – sort of," he added, "Now, breathe in slowly, then back out again. Feel the magic boil up from your chest, down your arms and out of our fingertips."

Bonnie inhaled, the magic rising within her and running down her arms and into her palms.

"Now!" he told her.

Kai used vamp speed to run into the yard and throw a target into the air. Bonnie used magic to launch a bottle at it – hitting it in the center with ease.

Kai ran to the next target, this time throwing it at her. She deflected the wooden board by knocking it away with the second bottle.

Bonnie hit target after target with relative ease, her magic feeling sharper than ever before. Rather than consumer her, it flowed within her like the Bennett blood coursing through her veins. It electrified her.

Kai ran back to her, pulling her into an unexpectedly passionate kiss before letting her go.

Bonnie blushed under his heated stare.

"Not bad, Parker," he pointed out.

"Bennett-Parker," she added, "And apparently magic gets you hot."

Kai smirked.

"Well, we could skip the rest of practice and I can show you just how hot it can make the both of us," Kai cajoled.

Bonnie, tempted by the idea, knew that practicing magic should come first.

"I tell you what: if you behave yourself for another half an hour, then we can misbehave for the rest of the day," she offered.

"Deal," Kai agreed, "Now close your eyes."

Bonnie smiled as he pulled her him. He kissed each of her eyelids before speaking again in a soft voice.

"I do love you, Bonnie," he said, unexpectedly.

"I love you too," she told him.

"Ready to try a Parker family trick?" he asked a few quiet moments passed between them.

Bonnie took in another deep breath.

"As ready as I'll ever be," said.

"Remember what I taught you: this is like any other game of hide and seek," he instructed, "You need to disappear and come back at will. It's going to help with fighting attackers that are much faster than you, okay."

Bonnie nodded.

"Good," he said as he kissed her cheek, "Now, do it."

"Invisique!" she said aloud, vanishing from his arms.

Kai smiled in appreciation at her success. She'd been working on the spell for the better part of a week, and he was proud she'd passed the test. Mastering it required a Latin incantation chanted in the mind, followed by the word "Invisique" spoken aloud. A witch was required to connect with the elements, allowing them to shield her from the sight of everyone else. Each element – air, earth, fire, and water – all played a role in the spell. And the spirits had to be willing.

After 15 seconds, Bonnie was supposed to reappear at the bottom of the steps.

She never did.

Kai waited.

Another minute passed. Bonnie was still gone.

Panic began to set in. He frowned, his breath picking up along with the afternoon breeze.

"Bonnie?" he said, looking from side, and pacing along the deck.

Over the past several weeks, they had learned to sense one another's magic.

Only now, he couldn't feel her presence.

Her magic called to him like a lighthouse beckoning a ship through the fog toward the shore.

Only now, he felt nothing.

Elizabeth had found them, he thought, but it didn't make sense. They'd been so careful, erecting a magic barrier along her property during a full moon. They told no one where they were going. They made sure to cast spells to cover their tracks when they traveled.

No. Elizabeth only appeared in Bonnie's dream. She couldn't have found a way inside their barrier.

Or could she?

Elizabeth's final words to him in the dream echoed in his head: "Are you sure I'm the one that's going to lose?"

"Bonnie!" the panicked scream erupted from his mouth. His magic ignited, charged with fear for Bonnie and hatred for his mother.

Kai ran into the yard, using his vampire senses to see if he could smell her blood, but he couldn't concentrate.

He was helpless. He couldn't lose her. Not this soon. He couldn't lose his family. Not again. God: It was his fault.

Kai bounded up the back steps and into the house. He needed help, but he could only think of one number to dial. Once he found the device, he leaned on the counter for support and scrolled through the contacts.

A warm breeze wafted through the house. Kai had left the sliding door open. She'd been gone less than five minutes, yet he was a wreck without her.

Bonnie and the babies were the only real family he had left.

Bonnie saw the panic in Kai's face, but could do nothing to ease his pain. She'd worked so hard on the spell. She couldn't understand why she wasn't able to reappear in front of him like they'd planned. She called his name several times, but he continued to act as if she wasn't there. For a brief moment, she thought he was playing a trick on her, but once Kai picked up the phone to dial for help, she knew he was serious.

She felt trapped, as if she were still a ghost haunting him in her own home.

A slight rustle disturbed her thoughts. A cold chill crept over her as she turned around. Her magic suddenly surged through her veins, igniting a fire in her that was reserved for only the deadliest of enemies.

"Hello, Bonnie," Elizabeth Parker said, looking past Bonnie's shoulder, "Oh, he can't see you by the way – not unless I allow it."

Bonnie's hands burst into flames as she chanted. She threw a fireball at Elizabeth's head.

The elder Parker witch dodged the blast, and stood smiling back into Bonnie's eyes.

"Now sweetheart, is that any way to treat family?" Elizabeth smirked.


End file.
